Schools Reach Tentative Pact With Workers

After negotiating for nine months, the Glendale Unified School District and its classified employees have reached a tentative agreement that calls for a 9.2% salary increase.

The proposed pact will be voted on Saturday and Monday by California School Employees Assn. Local 3. If ratified, the contract will be considered by the school board June 2.

The two sides had been deadlocked since Jan. 28, primarily over pay increases and leaves of absence.

The classified employees--custodians, cafeteria workers, secretaries and other uncertified workers--had sought a 6% pay raise for the 1985-86 school year. The board originally offered 3.5%.

Two-Year Pact

However, the district, because of lengthy negotiations that twice went into mediation, opted to combine the pay increases for the past and coming school years. Usually, contracts are for one year.

The proposed increase was divided three ways: 3.5% as a cost-of-living increase for 1985-86, 3.2% as a cost-of-living increase for 1986-87 and 2.5% as a general pay raise effective when the contract is ratified.

The cost-of-living increase for the past school year would be added to wages next year but is not retroactive.

Mary Meehan, chief negotiator and spokeswoman for classified employees, said the tentative pact, reached last Thursday, may be rejected because many members want the increase to be retroactive. "The retroactive issue is causing the most controversy. Many people want that money in their hands right now," Meehan said.

Charles Dungan, spokesman for the district, said the contract is fair.

"We are certainly hoping for ratification. As for the retroactive issue, we were not going to make retroactive something that we're going to be giving next year," Duncan said, referring to the fact that the salary increase will be spread out until the contract ends in June, 1987.

The leave-of-absence portion of the agreement allows workers to take a 30-day, unpaid leave for family health care. Leave is now unavailable, and workers who want time away from the job have to resign.

The ratification votes will be at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the Glendale High School cafeteria and at 5 p.m. Monday in the board room of the district administration building.